BBC Janala mobile service: A response to context and user experience

Abstract

The BBC Janala English language learning mobile service launched in Bangladesh in November 2009. In the first three months after launch, there were approximately one million calls to the service and at the end of August 2012 there were around 6.4 million users. Does the success of the BBC Janala mobile service simply lie in understanding the huge demand for English language learning in Bangladesh and recognising that a mobile phone service could fill a gap in the market or do other factors come into play? If so, what are the factors? What lessons have been learned over its life time and what are the implications for similar projects? Finally, what does the future of the BBC Janala mobile service look like in terms of moving to the next level and sustainability? These are the questions this paper will attempt to answer using research collected by BBC Media Action from the initial research/design phase in 2009 to the end of September 2012.

Citation

Cotter, T.; Ashraf, T. BBC Janala mobile service: A response to context and user experience. Presented at Mlearn 2012 Pre-conference workshop ‘mLearning Solutions for International Development: Rethinking what’s possible’, 15 October, Helsinki, Finland. (2012) 12 pp.

BBC Janala mobile service: A response to context and user experience

Published 1 January 2012